BioAmber Inc. has raised $45 million dollars in Series B financing with the monies used to accelerate the commercialization of succinic acid and modified PBS including the construction of a plant in North America. The round was led by NAXOS Capital Partners who helped to secure a new investor, Mitsui & Co. a Japanese trading company. The round was co-led …
Dyadic Netherlands Enters Research Agreement
Dyadic Netherlands, a subsidiary of Dyadic International, a company developing enzyme and protein products for several industries including the biofuels industry, has announced that they have entered into a research agreement with Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, and EnGen Bio, Inc. As part of the agreement, Sanofi Pasteur will fund collaborative research at Dyadic Netherland’s research and …
Hertz Expands Solar Program
Hertz Corporation is expanding its solar program with the installation of solar electric systems at several new locations. The most recent installation was completed at a Hertz Rental Corporation (HERC) facility in Commerce City, Colorado. The completion of this project makes them the first rental car company in the country to install a solar power facility. The project is a …
First Flex Fuel Pump Opens in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is the home of its first flex fuel pump. Rhoads Energy worked with Growth Energy to install the pump at its station located at 2176 Paxton Street, Harrisburg, PA. The pump was installed with assistance provided from Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Flex Fuel Pump Program. “Providing consumers with greater access to ethanol will help reduce our dependence on …
AEC Supports Domestic Energy Promotion Act
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley along with a bipartisan group of senators, announced a proposed piece of legislation to promote the development of biofuel infrastructure. The Domestic Energy Promotion Act of 2011 would transition the current blender’s credit to a variable tax credit based on the price of oil, improve tax incentives for blender pumps and ethanol refueling infrastructure, and extend …
Oregon to Test Hydrogen Fuel Technology
This month, testing will begin in Oregon on a new hydrogen fuel technology that works in tandem with diesel and gasoline engines to improve fuel efficiency, torque and horsepower and lower emissions. The technology was designed by Global Automotive Hydrogen Systems in Hong Kong. The system was first tested in Australia in 2010 by Pacific Transport, a trucking company. The …
Iowa Biodiesel Board Applauds Iowa Biodiesel Bill
As reported yesterday by Cindy, there was big news in Iowa for the biodiesel industry. The state passed one of the most comprehensive biodiesel fuel policies in the U.S. that creates a system that incentivizes local production, encourages availability of biodiesel at the pump, and invests in the infrastructure needed for wide distribution. The renewable energy bill is known as …
Turning Plants Into Products
A new report from the Milken Institute, “Turning Plants Into Products: Delivering on the Potential of Industrial Biotechnology,” examines the challenges facing the industrial biotechnology sector and identifies market and policy based responses. In particular, the report found that biotech could play a significant role in the reduction of fossil fuel use, but struggles due to petroleum’s price advantage. The …
Off Shore Wind Park in Germany Powers Up
Germany has inaugurated its first offshore wind farm located in the Baltic Sea. Now that the project is operational, it is the country’s second offshore wind farm to go online. To commemorate the achievement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was onsite to mark the occasion. The 50 megawatt (MW) wind part is expected to generate up to 185 gigawatts hours of …
Biofuels Center of North Carolina Awards $1.6M in Grants
In an effort to accelerate the commercialization of renewable fuels, the Biofuels Center of North Carolina has awarded $1.6 million to 15 different projects located within the state. The monies for the awards came from the 2011 Statewide Biofuels Development Grants Program. The center received 58 pre-proposals from 23 organizations with funding requests totaling more than $5.2 million. “The juncture …